The world of human resources is constantly evolving. Along with changes in the discipline come new waves of tools that allow HR and People teams to do their jobs more effectively.

WorkTech is defined by the technology tools that allow HR people to do their job more effectively. Some examples include recruiting chatbots, applicant tracking systems, screen tools, etc.

Why WorkTech Is Exploding

The world of WorkTech is growing leaps and bounds. There are a few major drivers of this innovation:

4% unemployment: Since the great recession, the global economy has been in a long running bull market which has left many industries struggling to fine the right talent. With pain, comes solutions. Many WorkTech companies are focused on helping companies to attract and acquire talent.

Future of Work: Millennials, the rise of remote worker, and the proliferation of contract employees have changed the way work gets done. We’ve seen a greater emphasis on employee engagement, retention and culture – all of which have lead to new WorkTech.

Software Eats the World: Marc Andreeson famously stated that software is eating the world back in 2011. This has indeed happened, with new technology lighting the way to efficiency and ROI. The worlds of recruiting/TA and HR are no different. It’s easier than ever to create software, and the world of HRTech has seen as many entrants as any other.

HR’s Changing Role: While most HR teams are still looking for their “seat at the table,” many organizations are realizing how important this function is within the organization, and making sure it is staffed with capable business leaders who can make a positive impact on the bottom line of the business. WorkTech is allowing People teams to use data and analytics to measure all parts of the employee life cycle.

The Dangers of Too Much WorkTech

With the rise of WorkTech, there are a few pitfalls we think every People person needs to be aware of:

Too Many Solutions: Simply put, there are hundreds of Applicant Tracking Systems out there, let alone every other type of software. It’s difficult to know which solution to use, when, and how.

People Are Obscured: We’re all people at the end of the day. We want to be treated like humans, and sometimes WorkTech can dehumanize people. We see this happening across the employee life cycle, from job applicant to employee.

Tools are Just Tools: WorkTech isn’t going to solve all of your problems. If you have a great employee engagement solution but don’t know how to use it, it’s not going to do its job for you.

WorkTech is certainly the future of the HR profession. With the right tools, you’ll be able to accomplish so much more personally and as a business.

Of course, the reason we started SelectSoftware is to help companies make sure they’re getting the right tools, for the right price, and from the right vendors.